written. For example, if you need a sales letter, it would make sense to see samples of sales letters from your potential copywriter.
It is extremely helpful if your copywriter has written in your industry. For example if you’ re writing a“ make money online” letter, look for someone who has written in that industry as well.
However, this should not be the“ be-all, end-all” of whether or not you should hire a particular copywriter. If their copy is good, then they know how to perform the research necessary to make the letter a success... no matter the niche.
In other words, don’ t dig yourself in a hole by only looking for someone who has written 1-page flyers for the Forex market... for example. It’ s rare to find a copywriter who has written the exact marketing piece you need so you could be looking a long time!
2. Make Sure They Have A Website
In my opinion if you’ re in any business and you take it seriously, you should have a website. Yes, there
If you want Kevin to write your copy, go to www. KevinHillCopy. com! are some copywriters who work full-time for agencies and mailing houses and they don’ t need a promotional website. Heck, I didn’ t have a website myself when I was working for Russell. He kept me pretty busy and I didn’ t need to look for extra work.
However, if you’ re hiring a freelance copywriter, they should have a website. It’ s a sign they take their business seriously. Further, you can get a hint of how good their copy is by looking at the copy they use to sell themselves on their site.
Selling oneself as a copywriter is the hardest thing to do... and if reading their website makes you salivate to hire them, chances are they will write an ad that’ ll make customers salivate for your product or service as well!
3. Get Them On The Phone
In today’ s world of instant messages, texts, Skype, and email, talking to people on the phone has become almost extinct. There are some jobs I’ ve done where I’ ve never talked to my client at all on the phone- and it was a rather weird experience for me.
If you’ re hiring a copywriter, my recommendation is to get them on the phone. Talk to them about your project and you can tell quickly if they know what they’ re doing when it comes to writing copy.
This should take place after you’ ve evaluated several copywriters and are seriously considering hiring one person. Don’ t waste the copywriter’ s time just“ chit-chatting” if you’ re not seriously considering hiring them; otherwise, you’ re just wasting their time. You simply contact the copywriter and say you have a project that needs copy and are considering hiring them and you’ d like to get them on the phone to ask them several questions.
You’ ll get a good idea of the copywriter’ s demeanor and whether or not they would be easy to work with by talking on the phone. Depending in the size of the project, there could be three to four phone conversations between the two of you and it’ s important you have good rapport with your copywriter.
If the copywriter doesn’ t want to talk to you on the phone, or attempts to charge you for the time for an initial phone consultation, my advice is to run. If the
38 | September 2011 www. DotComSecrets. com